Full slate today: http://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/injuries (we've had a few) Screen congestion: 16:30 EDT CONCACAF Gold Cup Panama-Martinique (then we'll know what GD we need) 19:00 EDT CONCACAF Gold Cup Nicaragua-USA (will Kerr outscore them both? ) 21:00 EDT FIVB W20 WCh Cuba-USA (Periscope/YouTube) ~~~~ Sun 07/16 ~~~~ 03:30 EDT FIVB World Grand Prix (wvb) China-USA (Olympic Channel <= this is new too) 12:00 EDT UEFA Women's Euro begins (ESPN3)
[POR-NC] 70' 1-0 Sykes long cross from 24m right touch into box, well over Lussi at 12m right post, bounces once at 7m left post. RB T.Smith swings at a half-volley roundhouse clearance try, but foul-tips it toward box (Portland's) left foot. Horan outruns T.Smith to it, backpass to Klingenberg at box top wide left. Klingenberg crosses inswinging over Lussi at 11m left post. Ball continues to 8m center, Raso front-cuts Hinkle and nods a header back across mouth, Rowland dives and tips it off left post low, bounces into 1/4 left and topspins into back of net. 70' - #PTFC Goal - @meghankling crosses to @HayleyRaso in the box, who powers a header into the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage#PORvNC pic.twitter.com/drDOjP0fhy— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 15, 2017 FT 1-0.
[NJ-CHI] 04' 0-1 Bad square pass(?) sends Press into a race vs. Pearce, with LB Mills, Stanton, Skroski, and RB O'Hara way high above ball. Press wins race at 22m arc left, simple diagonal pass to Huerta unmarked through box top right post -- how did Chicago get 2-v-Pearce that easily? Huerta touches to 14m right post, Sheridan slides out past 12m, Huerta passes ball under her, into center back low. 4' - #CRS Goal - @schuerta scores to give the @chicagoredstars an early 1-0 lead. Nice ball from @ChristenPress to find Huerta. #NJvCHI pic.twitter.com/I9BO9Ffn6J— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 15, 2017
26' 0-2 DiBernardo passes square left to Short joining the attack at box top wide left. Short backs O'Hara down, backpass to DiBernardo at 22m box left. DiBernardo bends an inswinging cross to 8m right post, Press back-cuts Killion from 15m and arrives alone, chests ball to 6-top 1/4 right, scuffs a left foot shot past Sheridan frozen, bouncing into back right low. Mills was on Press's back, but Mautz at box right had Mills' attention. 26' - #CRS Goal - @ChristenPress gives @chicagoredstars a 2-0 advantage pulling down a nice pass in behind by @vdibernardo10. #NJvCHI pic.twitter.com/A9klKHenXF— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 15, 2017
32' 1-2 Kerr turns down mid-right to 3m, chips a cross over mouth to 6-top left. Lytle heads ball straight down, it bounces to 6-top left post. Hayes comes right-to-left and shoots, Naeher comes out and sit-stuffs first shot. Ball bounces back to Hayes, she pokes it past Naeher still sitting, into 1/3 left back low. 32' - #SBFC Goal - @SkyBlueFC's @Hayzee11 sees first attempt blocked but finds the back of the net on her second chance. #NJvCHI pic.twitter.com/yyA8mKWvnJ— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 15, 2017 39' 1-2 Ertz exposes ball laterally near own box top, Kerr lunges into a 5m slide-poke -- but scissors Ertz's planted right leg. Ertz stays down, Kerr shows remorse. Ref is heartless, calls Kerr aside and yellow card on Kerr. Ertz stays down for ~30s, resumes with a wince.
[ORL-KC] 22' 1-0 Debinha left ck, short backpass to Marta. Marta holds at 5m wide left, jukes down to 1m, floats a cross back to 6m center. Kennedy elevates behind Averbuch at the back edge of a large scrum, leans into ball and heads down into back right low. 22' @AlannaKennedy gets the first goal of the game, off an assist from Marta, to give the @ORLPride a 1-0 lead. #ORLvKC pic.twitter.com/F3svfzVPFf— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2017
37' 1-0 Orlando fk at 25m left touch, Morgan posts up at 15m center, Bowen has left arm wrapped around Morgan's ribs. As the kick sails in, Morgan leans back and both she and Bowen go down at spot. Barnhart catches, but foul, penalty. 38' 2-0 Morgan pk, left instep cross body to back right low (Barnhart leaned wrong -- and went early) 38' @alexmorgan13 converts the penalty for her first goal since rejoining the @ORLPride, who take a 2-0 lead late in the half. #ORLvKC pic.twitter.com/0OvVkkOyXx— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2017
[NJ-CHI] 90+1' (of +4') 2-2 Killion serves from 32m box right to 8m left post, Kerr accelerates past unwary Ertz ("no way she can get to that") from spot and floats a header over Naeher, into left 90. Then she demonstrates the left-sided cartwheel-to-back flip Ertz does Sauerbrunn's sigh: even when you know it's coming to Kerr, it still comes 90' - Amazing!!! @samkerr1 has done it again for @SkyBlueFC with a leaping header to tie the game at 2-2. #NJvCHI pic.twitter.com/FcIwbOkM57— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2017 FT 2-2.
Wow, crazy few minutes! [ORL-KC] 63' 2-0 KC subs in (1 of 3) #44 Maegan Kelly for #15 Erika Tymrak. 65' 2-1 Gibbons chips from circle back, ball drops and bounces off Leroux's calves at ~25m arc right as she draws both CBs off. Bowen one-touch diagonal pass to Kelly unmarked through arc top center to box top right post. Bledsoe comes out to spot and slides, Kelly passes ball around her into back right low. 65' @maegskell "puts the Blues on the board." #ORLvKC 2-1 pic.twitter.com/k3qfWuX0oW— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2017 70' 3-1 Krieger backpass to Pressley at 25m box left. Pressley turns past Kelly to arc top mid-left, blasts left instep outswinging toward right post low, dives and bends past Barnhart's dive into back right low. 70' "A 25-yard masterpiece from @Toni_Deion Pressley!" #ORLvKC 3-1 pic.twitter.com/g11Pd7xnqW— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2017
[HOU-WAS] 25' 1-0 Andressinha left ck, short to Brian, she touches to 8m wide left and crosses to 6m 6-left. Poliana's hard cut arrives before E.Johnson, jumps facing away and flick-heads across mouth, bounces past or under Labbé into right side netting. 25' - Off the short cornerkick by @janinebeckie4, @HoustonDash's Poliana uses her head and a deft flick to take a 1-0 lead. #HOUvWAS pic.twitter.com/IUVtyUufyS— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2017
[ORL-KC] 71' 3-1 Orlando subs in (2 of 3) #12 Kristen Edmonds for #6 Chioma Ubogagu. 75' 4-1 Aimless longball bounces to Barnhart way out at her own 22m mid-left, as Edmonds cuts in from 25m wide right. Barnhart settles the bounce, swings to clear just as Edmonds flashes across her bow -- off Edmonds' shin, rolls perfectly ahead of her to box top left post with net empty, Edmonds taps a roller just inside left post. Welp. 75' @Kris10Edmonds "nice and composed, and nets it." #ORLvKC 4-1 pic.twitter.com/G9LtL3mEPh— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2017
Sky Blue game was great. If only they could half a healthy backline. Mean while KC send to be imploding. They weren't great last year but still had over of the better GAA.
[HOU-WAS] 53' 2-0 Daly chases to 10m wide right, cuts inside to 13m mid-right. Backpass to arc top 6-right, Andressinha steps up and one-touch right instep bend = topspin lob, drops perfectly over Labbé's fingertips, under crossbar, into back left edge 1/2 high. 54' - Andressinha gives the @HoustonDash a 2-0 lead w/ a floating shot from outside 18-yard box that finds the back of the net. #HOUvWAS pic.twitter.com/RPKRt9eyXN— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2017
75' 2-1 Solaun lopes upfield to 20m mid-right, flicks right outstep down box right for E.Johnson running past Levin. E.Johnson bends indward to 5m mid-right, shoots right instep bend between Campbell and near post (it's the week for tiny windows), into left bottom pipe. Nobody expects the smaller window! 75' - #WAS Goal - @EstelleJohnson pulls back a goal for the @WashSpirit firing a low shot just inside the near post. #HOUvWAS 2 - 1 pic.twitter.com/Y5Y1lYUpQ8— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2017 FT 2-1. Houston is moving up!
[SEA-BOS] 32' 1-0 Oyster backpass to Smith at spot, Smith steps into it but slices her clearance way high. Kawasumi foot-traps the punt at 27m mid-right, follows the bounce to 22m 6-right, half-volley on the 2nd up-bounce forces Smith to look into the setting sun -- and lobs her into right 90. She still has the magic touch 32' Nahomi Kawasumi's shot from outside the box to the top right corner gives the @ReignFC the first goal of the game. #SEAvBOS 1-0 pic.twitter.com/MVRZgKYzn2— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2017
43' 1-1 RB Westphal dribbles to box top wide right, crosses to 4m left post. Leon arrives first, blasts right instep low volley up into back left high -- then clatters into Kopmeyer on goalline, and in trying to step over her, steps on her head (unintentional, not a stomp) Kopmeyer stays down for ~30 seconds, resumes. 43' @LeonAdriana9 gives the @BostonBreakers just their third away goal of the season to tie things up in Seattle. #SEAvBOS 1-1 pic.twitter.com/5P46v3oxd0— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 16, 2017 HT 1-1.
I guess a better question is why the minimal support for the Reign, as the Sounders get some of the best in mens soccer. I guess it doesn't always translate over, Portland seems to be the exception.
Nothing magical. It's the organization not the city. The Timbers organization has figured out their market and they're striking gold. They also have the resources to invest into their business plan. It's not mystery that the three attendance leaders are the three teams that are part of MLS organizations. They have the experience and the wherewithal to reach potential fans. What they also have is a much larger economy of scale that allows them to make marketing mistakes without blowing the budget and risking running out of money. And it shouldn't be a shock that just behind the three MLS/NWSL organizations is the NASL/NWSL organization. Having a full-time year-round non-technical staff of 20-25 people with real budgets and mostly tasked with bringing in new sponsors (revenue) and selling tickets is a luxury that most standalone NWSL teams can't afford. Back at an NSCAA Convention town hall meeting on women's professional soccer in 2004 or 2005, one of the panelists was then DC United Kevin Payne. He was asked about the Freedom and United (who played one or two doubleheaders at RFK every year). He stated that if the two teams had merged front offices, the savings would've been into seven figures - and this is 2004. Of course the WUSA Freedom were the poster child for burning cash.
Yeah, but other than the Thorns, the other two MLS owned franchises are exactly killing it in attendance either. And neither is Carolina. At the beginning North Carolina had dreams of over 10,000 per game, they barely get 3-4,000. Houston's stadium looks empty, I've been to Orlando games and they do get a nice crowd around 5-6,000. Woopiee! It's still not where they thought they'd be a couple of years ago. So when you say the MLS and the one owned NASL teams get better attendance tahn single entity ownership - it's like saying which is the tallest midget. I have also been to a few Portland games, in Portland. That area is a different culture than any where else in the country. Huge gay/lesbian community that supports women's sports, liberal culture. Your average man and woman that go to these games with their kids aren't "clueless" soccer moms and dads I find in other parts of the country who are there to just bond with their daughter but are more interested how the Cubs (insert any "man" team) are doing at this time, they know the players, they know the game in Portland. Totally different. You cannot duplicate this anywhere else. It's all about the culture, IMO. The Red Stars owner has put a LOT of his personal money into the women's game for 10 years now and I would rather him own the Red Stars than the Fire owner because he is in it for the right reason. In fact in the past it has been talked that Fire consider the Red Stars competition so there is very little collaboration between the two other than one or two double-header games in the past that benefited the Fire more than Red Stars. I don't buy this idea that you have to have MLS to own the teams in NWSL to get more people to the games. First of all you have to have MLS owners who WANT to own an NWSL team and I can tell you in Chicago and I can't speak for the Fire ownership but I personally doubt they have any interest. Agree or disagree, but other than Portland, the one big hope in a season to get a "good" attendance is when Alex Morgan comes to town. Women's pro soccer is still a "cult of personality" sport.
What? That's ridiculous. I think the folks I know were expecting 4k and hoping for 5k. The stadium only holds 10k and with a schedule that originally had 7 4pm summer kickoffs, nobody was expecting more than the team is actually getting. I can only think of a couple games where all 10k were filled - and those were friendlies with LigaMX crowds. It'll be interesting to see what tonight's NCFC/Swansea (an EPL team) friendly brings. I doubt that will sellout the stadium. Nobody, but nobody involved with the team or that actually follows the business of soccer in this market was expecting anything remotely close to 10k.